I have read a lot of postings in this site in regards to buying train tickets prior to our departure for Italy. It was recommended that we do not purchase since we can get it once we get to Italy. My concern is that we will be travelling in August. Is it still safe to wait to get the tickets or should we purchase it in advance?

Hi it,

You can purchase tickets from Trenitalia at www.trenitalia.com/en as far out as 60 days in advance for the same price as in Italy.

Hi Ira. Thanks for the response. If we buy the tickets via trenitalia, do they hold the ticket for us until we get to Italy or do they will mail it to us in the United States?

Hi it,

It is a ticketless booking.

You will get a confirmation number.

If you are on an ES* train, print out the confirmation. This is all you need, since the ticket is good for that train and that seat only.

If you are taking an IC train, print out the confirmation number. Take that and the same credit card to the train station and they will give you your ticket.

Remember to stamp the ticket in the yellow box at the head of the track.

When trying to guess whether a train will be busy or not, the month is largely irrelevant. The day of the week and time of day are the most important. Generally, trains are busiest around weekends - at any time of the year. It also depends on what journey you're doing: on some lines, trains are frequent and you don't need to worry about booking in advance; for other journeys, the best trains may be booked well in advance. You should also consider how flexible you can be: if you have to travel at a particular time on a busy day, then reserving a seat may be a good idea; if you are travelling on a Tuesday and the time isn't critical, then you may not need to bother booking in advance.